back the president leaves russia for rome. he is attending an important summit. >> it looks like he is scared. they still have to do this. i must be bad. >> she accused him of stalking. now marion barry's ex-girlfriend speaks out for the first time. >> grab your car keys. we will tell you about a freak gas give away in one hour. "good morning washington" starts right now. captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org-- good wednesday morning. i'm doug mcelway. >> and i'm alison starling. i hope you are outside in joined

the beautiful weather. your traffic and weather together every 10 minutes. >> here is adam caskey with more great news. >> unbelievable. you will not believe how comfortable is when you step outside today. even this afternoon, you will comfortably be able to sit outside and enjoy it in early july. it is amazing. a cold front will be moving through today. there will be low humidity. germantown, 65. falls church, 62. look at the dew point numbers on the right side of your screen. in the 40's and low 50's. very comfortable outside. a high today of 82. what is up with the first look of traffic? >> new york avenue is closed in each direction.

new york avenue is not going to be an option for you until further notice. that is a huge deal. rhode island avenue, go down to east capitol street. but new york avenue is not an option in and out of town. this is a new development. i will take you live to springfield. look in the camera. quiet traffic in both directions in springfield, virginia. now with top stories. >> thank you. we begin with a deadly hit- and-run accident that tied up the beltway while you were sleeping. >> two people were killed. the suspect hit a car about 11:00 p.m. last night near the american legion bridge and then drove away.

two people died. the suspect kept going into virginia, causing another accident. fortunately, no one was hurt in the second accident. the rock creek parkway had to be shut down briefly overnight after a car flipped over into the creek. the 40-year-old woman was rescued. we have no word on her condition. to our other top stories. a dramatic development in the stocking accusations facing marion barry. >> the woman who made the accusations has spoken out for the first time. >> we have personal details of her life that were made detail. pamela brown has the latest. >> that late-night press conference, a spokesperson for

marion barry said that person is under care for compulsive behavior disorder. donna watts-brighthaup showed up unexpectedly and had some strong words. >> i only heard all little of what she said. >> donna watts-brighthaup turns out to the press conference to defend herself. you'll hear her in the background as she is called unstable. >> she is currently under the care of a local psychiatrist and has been diagnosed with compulsive -- compulsive behavior disorder. >> sheet of allegedly accused marion barry and said the allegations are not true. >> it looks like they are scared of something. i must be bad. >> the history goes well beyond

this week. she was hired last september. the city pays her $60,000 for her services and -- in $5,000 increments. >> she was about to lose her house, her car, and due to instability, employment. mr. barry did in fact do this primarily because of her children. >> barry maintains she was qualified for the job. >> it is not unusual nor is it illegal for council members to award contracts to supporters who qualified and cannot provide the services required. >> she was asked last night if she will file a civil suits. she says at this point that she will not.

pamela brown, abc 7 news. >> thank you. we have a developing story. the president has arrived in rome for the g8 summit. they will talk about world hunger. it comes after a two-day summit with russian leaders. he is expected to meet with the italian president. a fiery standoff in connecticut came to an end. a man had been holding his ex- wife hostage. he threatened to kill her. he claimed his home was booby trapped with explosives. he set fire to the home and would not surrender until the flames reached him. he is now in custody. the race for virginia

governor is a close one. bob mcdonnell has a six-point lead over creigh deeds. mcdonnell has a 22% over deeds among independent leaders. the margin of error is 4%. if you do not bring your own bed while shopping in the district, you will have -- if you do not bring your own bag while shopping in the district, you will have to pay for it. the new fee goes into effect january 1. you might want to make a brief detour. >> a free gas give away it will be held in alexander in less than an hour. courtney robinson is live to explain. >> good morning. it is the sine we have been waiting for at this shell -- is

the sign we have been waiting for at this shell station, $0. they are giving away free gas to celebrate the most improved driving record in the nation. they have not had accidents in the past year -- in 7.2 years. they will give away the gas from 6:00 a.m. until 9:00 a.m. they are asking motorists to line up. they want things to go smoothly. there is one caveat -- 7,000 gallons of gas is all i have to give away. you cannot fill up with 10 gallons, so we are talking about 700 cars. you do not have to be an

alexandria resident. you cannot get any better than that. >> are people lined up already? >> we have seen a few people lined up. the police are not going to allow drivers here at this shell station until 6:00 a.m. the drivers will have to start lining up at 6:00 a.m. if you come early, you will not be the first in line. >> ok. some double takes wh they see that sign with $0. thank you so much. nine minutes after the hour. 67 degrees. disturbing photos from a local funeral home. we will have details on the firing of one funeral member. >> we have a cold front moving

through right now. it is causing some changes. >> and lisa baden will be back with another look at your morning commute. ah, just installed fios in the whole building.

now everyone has the fastest upload speeds. and we're giving them a mini netbook. well, i'm sticking with cable. so's ted. (voice) no i'm not! he's just goofing. (voice) no i'm not! (sighing) ted has betrayed me. (announcer) switch to verizon fios tv, phone and internet today and get an ultra-sleek compaq mini netbook. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 800.974.6006 tty/v

welcome back. 5:12 on this wednesday morning.

time for your traffic and weather together every 10 minutes. >> we begin with adam caskey. he has the latest on the forecast. >> we have a cold front moving through right now. the leading edge is approaching the richmond area. the front is paving the way for drier air and cooler conditions. it will not feel like july. la plata, 65. k at the to point number -- look at those dew point numbers. that means low humidity relative to july. stafford at 66. a lot of sunshine for today. a few clouds later on today. noticeably cooler and less humid. highs in the low 80's today. tomorrow, pretty much the same

story. comfortable with highs in the low 80's. we will seek a brief return of the heat and humidity. high temperatures up to where they should be. whether looking great this week. >> -- the weather is looking great this week. >> there is a crash on the outer loop by the clara barton part way. this just in according to mdot. i just got off the phone. new york avenue is closed in both directions between bladensburg -- wait a minute. between west montana avenue after bladensburg wrote. this is after the old hecht company warehouse. they tell me new york avenue will be closed for 30 minutes.

avoid new york ave. they are still paying a portion of 410 westbound heading over to route 1. only one lane is getting by. i will take you to the camera where it is quiet becausee needed to end on a high note. this is the toll road over 28. alison and doug. >> thank you. 5:15 is your time. >> a well known d.c. establishment is closing their doors for good. >> we will check headlines around the region

checking our top stories at 5:17. a big oprtunity for home

buyers in prince george's county. there will be a new downpayment assistance program for people to buy foreclosed homes. it is aimed at stopping the erosion of home properties. >> two men will be recognized as the first combat casualties of the vietnam war. there will be a wreath laying ceremony today. the man died in 1959 -- the m en died in 1959. >> a national tour is being launched today and it bans gays in lesbians from serving openly in the military. this will be kicked off at the national press club today. >> the tough economy is forcing

a popular georgetown restaurant to close up shop after 40 years. nathans restaurant has been a fixture in the district since 1969. the owner, carol joynt, just secured a new lease only three weeks ago. she made this difficult decision to call it quits. boiled customers are saddened by the news. >> it is like closing cheers. it's been like a cheers to everyone. people come in from all over the world. >> when we came, we know it has a history. >> nathans also has been a backdrop for noted question and answer sessions. the restaurant will close on sunday night. >> it is a great restaurant.

>> i think everyone in d.c. has been there. 5:19. your traffic and weather together every 10 minutes. we just continue to have this role. >> it does not get any better. yes it does. today and tomorrow, you'll feel it. fantastic. it is an abnormal weather pattern. >> when summer hits d.c., it will be gruesome. >> itlil w>>it hiit thllfuceor f ainfew bwe as,ekuts,oteny tim sn. s.t's relish these temperatu chevy chase, 63. clifton, 61. waldorf, 67. andtlook a those dew point s.nu ermb eyre inth'0' a 4snd mid 50's,o it flseels pecrf relative to july standards.

62 in leesburg. 55 in front royal. bowie at 63. i want to show you a weather pattern. at this time of year, we have a bermuda high off short and a southwesterly flow. that is what typically happens. lately we have a northwesterly flow. the lower humidity and we have not seen the intense heat this year. that is in contrast to what is typical in july. today it will feel more like early june then early july. low 80's. same story tomorrow. we will have higher heat and humidity this weekend. >> i am hearing from an officer on the scene. new york avenue, which was closed, it is being reopened it

right now. the investigation is wrapping up for the morning. soon you'll be able to use new york ave. that is good news. if you plan on taking the beltway, i do not have any accidents on the virginia side. construction barrels should be out of their near at fedex field. looking for a crash. it looks like we arrunning pretty smoothly and acro the american legion bridge. overnight investigation gone at the american legion bridge. for now, let's go back to alison and doug. >> thank you. michael jackson's memorial service was seen around the world. >> vinita nair tell us as how it held up. >> the web holds up during michael jackson's memorial service.

millions of people log on to watch the service live. there were no major breakdowns. the live event was broadcast by the major networks and cable outlets. facebook now has 7 million fans for michael jackson's page. google is planning to launch an operating system for computers. they announced the project and said they want to bring security to computers. it will be designed for net books. the software will be available in the second half of next year. sony is getting into the net book game. they are launching a book runs on low work great hardware. it will sell for about $600. yahoo! is making it easier to

organize your searches. a program automatically saves your results. users can then we organize them or e-mail it. young kids are getting on-line faster than their parents. nearly 16 million kids were on line in may, but making up almost 10% of internet users. the number of kids online has grown by 18%. you can bet some of the youngest kids are sitting on their parents's laps. for more information, log onto the tech page at abcnews.com. those are your tech bytes. i'm vinita nair. o'clock 24 is your time, 64 degrees. >> we ll talk -- we will tell you that the white house is looking at foods to serve your family. >> later "oprah," today, the

british royal family opens their doors. you'll also see what happens behind the scenes on "american idol."

the white house is launching a new effort to make food safer. they have issued new safety food standards. the rules applied to aids, poultry, melons, and tomatoes.

joe biden says the focus on prevention is a different emphasis than we have had in the past. >> american families have enough to worry about these days. just putting food on the table, let alone whether the food will be safe for their kids and husbands and wives to eat. >> this is in response to some food safety breakdowns. they will establish better tracing systems in the event of an outbreak. time for the latest headlines in business news. >> linda bell joins us. >> i have some news to report on the hedge fund market. the man is closing his current hedge fund. john meriwether's opportunity

fund has lost about 44% of its value. there were days last fall when word of a hedge fund closing would send stock index futures spiraling. they are indicating a higher open right now. alcoa is the first talk to report there earnings. shares are trading higher right now. that is your business news. live at bloomberg headquarters in new york, i am linda bell. doug and alison, back to you. >> thank you. 64 degrees. the news continues. >> still ahead, it is the video you have to see to believe. a metro train operator texting while on the job and at the controls. >> we have a cold front moving through. it is paving the way for some changes.

it is paving the way for some changes. for your retirement makes sense, just stay on track. what is...? that's the guidance you get from fidelity. thanks. stay on the line! whatever your destination, fidelity has the people, guidance, and investments to help you find your way. ah, just installed fios in the whole building. now everyone has the fastest upload speeds. and we're giving them a mini netbook.

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>> live and in hd, this is "good morning washington," on your side. good morning, washington. thank you so much for joining us on this wednesday. i'm alison starling. >> and i'm doug mckelway. your traffic and weather together every 10 minutes. let's get right to adam caskey with more word on the july that did not get hot. >> it is so nice out. >> you think it cannot last forever. it will last for a while. it will feel more like early june than july.

a cold front is moving -- is moving through. we will have lower humidity and cooler temperatures. let's look outside. front royal at 54. burke at 65. the front has yet to have a full impact on some places in maryland. e dupont -- the dew point numbers are low. low humidity today. here is the forecast. mostly sunny this morning. a high of only 82. our average high is 88. tomorrow, same story. a fair amount of sunshine. great cool weather for the next couple of days. temperature will get back to the upper mid 80's. higher humidity this weekend and the chance of some thunderstorms. it will fal apart a little bit for the upcoming weekend.

now for traffic. [no audio] >it it helps wh you turn t microphone on. we had some issues earlier on new york avenue. that has been resolved. everything is open from northeast to northwest washington. travel times are with us on 95 from fredericksburg to baltimore. we show you live across the american legion bridge. >> thank you. a funeral worker in northern virginia is looking for work. >> he says he blew the whistle on some practices that some morticians call on ethical -- call unethical. matt brock has more. >> robert ranghelli worked at

the national funeral home when he was fired. >> i noticed bodies being placed on racks in garages. >> he believes he was let go because he talked about disgraceful conditions inside this building. theseictures appear to show unattended human remain ur a former employee accused the board of leaving bodies on refrigerated. >> i feel so much better and that i got respect from the family's going through this. >> the board of funeral directors is investigating the allegations. in -- they sy they completed an internal investigation and found no eviden of wrongdoing. >> we were told on the phone --

>> that was matt brock the reporting. there are new concerns about safety on metro trains after an operator was caught texting. >> that is unbelievable. it is unbelievable. >> is that the conductor? but the video shows the operator texting on his cell phone while the train was in motion. the video was posted on youtube and contacted metro. >> there is absolutely no excuse. >> that video was taken weeks before the deadly train collision. metro says it was not brought to their attention until recently. the operator was suspended for five days and is now on the jo

new lawsuits have been filed against metro. men who have survived the crash are now suing metro. they accuse the train operator of going too fast. they also accuse match her of not giving the operator of enough training. traffic congestion nationwide is down. tie-ups in our region are getting worse. the worst place inhe nation is los angeles. washington now ranks second behind los angeles. the third most congested area is atlanta fall by houston. san francisco comes in fifth. orlando comes in eight. the economic downturn is forcing many americans to change the way

the commute. number two. that is what we are. 5:37, 64 degrees. federal workers had to disney world but for no fun. this is an investigation. there was a monorail crash. >> birds make a routine flight dangerous. >> and lisa baden will be back with another look at your mornin mo

hello. i am a director of the national rescue league. come down and meet your new best friend. we wish you a good morning, washington. so cute animals in that group. 5:41. your traffic and weather together every 10 minutes. >> let's begin with adam caskey and animal lovers himself. it is good weather to walk your dog. >> aeautiful day. a great start to the day. the key is low humidity levels. let's look at the current conditions. clear skies overhead. the camera is looking east into

the district as the sun is getting ready to rise. 68 at reagan national. the dew point numbers tell us it is very comfortab at side. chantilly at 63. mostly sunny skies this morning. a few patchy clouds by this afternoon. high in the low 80's. low humidity. tomorrow, similar as today. let's check in with lisa baden. >> we have a broken-down vehicles after the georgia avenue but before connecticut ave. it is near the north -- near the mormon temple. no worries in virginia. there is a traffic change at eisenhower avenue. 28 moving nicely.

no complications on the greenway or the toll road. new york avenue has been reopened. >> thank you. father clock 43 is your time. >> he does the chores and does not complain. we will meet and around the house helper.

>> you are watching abc 7's "good morning washington," with doug mckelway, alison starling, meteorologist brian van de graaff, weather, and lisa baden, traffic. this is "good morning washington," on your side. checking our top stories. ntsb is investigating a fatal monaural crash at disney world. they did not usually conduct investigations on private property, but they want to prevent any future tragedy

spirit one person was killed early sunday morning. >> some scary moments for passengers on board a flight that took off from bwi marshall. plane returned safely to the airport after at least one bird struck an engine. the passengers were transferred to another jet. no one was hurt and there was no significant damage to the airplane. >> some government websites are still experiencing problems. transportation department websites were all infected. theyere down at various times over the holiday weekend. south korean officials say cyber attacks there may be related. 5:47. time for your traffic and weather together every 10 minutes.

>> we have a very exciting forecast. if you like this low humidity, there will be more of it. it is so pleasant. >> and it is just getting better. it is hard for me to get a handle on this. the dew points in the 40's hard to believe. i just thought you were tired. it is the measure of moisture in the atmosphere. the lower the number, the more comfortable it is. temperatures have do opdrown le 50ee degrs e get there. -- let's take a look at the numbers. newington,2 6 degrees. cumberland, 51. the dew point numbers are mainly in the 50's.

dry air is continuing to push in from the north. it relates to a very comfortable conditions again today, even more comfortable than what we had yesterday. generally, we are in the 50's and 60's to start our day. 50's north and west of the metro area. typically this time of year, we would have a big high pressure system planted off shore, usually centered around bermuda. it will give us that prevailing southwesterly flow. it would pump the heat and humidity into the mid atlantic. it is not the case. we have west-east over our area. there is circulation over new england. there have been several over the past couple of weeks. it is keeping us in a

northwesterly flow. temperatures are below average. humidity has been kept at bay. we're not seeing the southerly wind pushed air into our region. low 80's. low hudity levels. tomorrow, comfortable. a little bit warmer by the ekend with a chance of storms. but it's plenty of traffic on 95 in to try and go -- into triangle. traffic brooks laich is handling its own in germantown -- traffic looks like it is handling its own in germantown. what if you had a faithful companion who worked without a fuss. what this ma has a handy the system, his dog. he says his dog can do just

about anything. he helps with carpentry and retrieves tools. he even washes his own toys. the dog is a quick study. he hardly needs any training. he helps him out. >> i am still looking for a shot of him helping. he can run around with the garden hose. >> how about skipper the wonder dog. is he a helper? perhaps no. -- no. >> i wonder if the doll can clean up after himself. if they cannot -- i wonder if the dog can clean up after himself. they freak out if they do not have somethi to do. >> how about summ in spain.

for us, it means one thing. it is time to check out the running of the bulls. the race got underway yesterday. participants tried not to get gored. no one was severely injured. a few people had to go to the hospital. there were some bumps and bruises. >> oh! >> i read some father took his 10 year-old child to participate. how crazy is that? >> what is that when they do that. tomato fight in the streets? >> a little less dangerous. >> we could start that here. >> that could be you and me. i am down. >> i want a photograph. >> there is a spectacleon the

oceans. tall ships sailed into boston for sale boston. the ships are open for tours. the advent almost did not happen because of concern of -- the event almost did not happen because of concern of who would pay for security. this will end in ireland in august. some spectacular ships. just gorgeous. >> i hope their weather clears up. they have been stuck with clouds. >> we will take a quick break bk

fios guy! where ya headed? ah, just installed fios in the whole building. now everyone has the fastest upload speeds. and we're giving them a mini netbook. well, i'm sticking with cable. so's ted. (voice) no i'm not! he's just goofing. (voice) no i'm not! (sighing) ted s betrayed me.

(announcer) switch to verizon fios tv, phonand internet today and get an ultra-sleek compaq mini netbook. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 800.974.6006 tty/v

8 people have a new lease on life this morning thanks to a record setting surgery. >> and thanks to the kindness of saw strangers. >> i have a whole over here and one over here. this is where they pulled it via. >> camelot was one of eight people willing -- pamela was one of eight people willing to donate as kidney. >> i talked to mike recipient this morning. she is doing -- i talked to my recipient this morning. she is doing a fantastic. >> the matches were made through

a nationwide computer modeling system. it is believed to be the largest series of transplants ever. this can reduce the number of patients waiting for eligible donors. what a sacrifice. >> what generosity. it does not do justice to what she has done. we have a lot more to come. but coming up, a driver is under arrest after allegedly causing two crashes on a local highway, one of them deadly. >> and lisa baden will be back with another look at your morning commute.

p coming up, caught on camera. a metric train operator video tape texting while at the controls. >> it looks like they are scared of something. i must be bad. >> she accused him of stalking. now marion barry's ex-girlfriend is speaking out